GENEVA — The United Nations has sharply criticized the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), calling it a “failure” in its mission to provide aid to civilians in Gaza. The GHF, backed by both the United States and Israel, was set up to address the humanitarian disaster in the besieged enclave but is now facing mounting backlash from aid organizations and UN officials.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on Friday that the GHF has failed to meet even the most basic humanitarian standards. “They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are, in a safe and secure manner,” Laerke told reporters in Geneva. “From a principled humanitarian standpoint, the GHF has been a failure.”
Major international NGOs and UN agencies have refused to cooperate with the GHF, accusing it of prioritizing Israeli military objectives over the urgent needs of Palestinians. The foundation, which began operations on May 26 after a two-month total blockade of Gaza by Israel, claims to have distributed more than 18 million meals — a figure that humanitarian experts say lacks transparency and oversight.
Gaza Under Fire as Aid Efforts Collapse
On the ground, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. At least 44 Palestinians were killed on Friday alone, according to medical sources, as Israeli forces intensified their ground and artillery assaults in Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah.
Al Jazeera’s Tariq Abu Azzoum, reporting from central Gaza, said Israeli troops had pushed deeper into civilian areas and targeted the so-called “safe zone” of al-Mawasi. A drone strike on a tent in the zone killed at least two people.
“The Israeli military is deepening its ground operations, and people are confused about where they can go to find safety,” said Azzoum.
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Israel’s continued bombardment comes despite growing global criticism and calls for restraint. The besieged territory has also remained under a complete communications blackout for a second consecutive day, which Hamas described as “a new aggressive step” in Israel’s ongoing “war of extermination.”
West Bank Sealed Off; Al-Aqsa Mosque Closed
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israel has imposed a full lockdown. Checkpoints and crossings between Palestinian towns were sealed shortly after Israel launched a series of air strikes on Iranian targets earlier in the day.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that its ambulances were being blocked from reaching patients in critical condition. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque, preventing Palestinians from attending Friday prayers.
In response, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa held an emergency cabinet session and activated crisis committees across the West Bank.
As the humanitarian situation worsens, the UN and aid groups are demanding that independent, neutral mechanisms be restored to deliver life-saving assistance to Gaza. The fate of hundreds of thousands hangs in the balance as international trust in the US- and Israeli-backed GHF continues to erode.
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